Oxford accused of lowering their own standards to hit diversity targets with one in ten places now reserved for students from disadvantaged backgrounds

Oxford academics fear standards are being lowered to accept 'disadvantaged' students who would not otherwise be offered a place in a bid to hit diversity targets. The prestigious university aims to reserve one in ten places for students from 'disadvantaged' postcodes or areas with a high proportion of working class residents who do not get through the standard admissions process. One don told The Times: 'I have known students admitted under this scheme who could not write essays in grammatical English, something previously unknown in my experience among Oxford undergraduates.' Oxford academics fear standards are being lowered to accept 'disadvantaged' students who would not otherwise be offered a place in a bid to hit diversity targets It is believed there are 220 places this year under the Opportunity Oxford programme, rising to 280 by 2028, out of a total of 3,300 Oxford undergraduate places Chris McGovern, chairman of right-wing pressure group Campaign for Real Education, said 'well-intentioned but misguided policymakers are placing diversity, equality and inclusion above academic ability because intelligence is not evenly and fairly distributed.'